Broken
by IFYOUCOULDFLY
Summary: Will Treaty has only been the Ranger at Seacliff for a few months when he receives an urgent message from King Duncan's steward demanding his presence. On his way to the castle, he is ambushed, captured, and taken to a far away land, where he is tortured brutally. Can he be saved in time? Or will the famous Ranger be broken? First fanfic, please review, rated 'cuz I'm paranoid.
1. Prologue

**A/N: OLAF! It's me, IFYOUCOULDFLY! Okay so this is my first fanfic experience… a little scary…but I love to write, so hopefully this will be fun for everyone! PLEASE review, it will help me **_**so **_**much! If you want me to try a series, tell me! I'll be happy to find a new, exciting series to obsess over! But for now…enjoy! Oh, yeah, I don't own Ranger's Apprentice *tear*…but one day…**

-PROLOGUE-

"Come on, Will, just a little longer…" A voice rasped from behind the hood. It was an odd sight to see, a grizzled figure draped in a cloak, riding frantically through a dense forest, holding a bleeding boy in one arm, his horse's reins in the other. Behind him was another horse, a gray pony, with no rider. The pony whinnied frantically, desperately trying to keep up with the man and the boy.

Each time the boy took a shaky, rasping breath, the man kicked his horse, urging him to go faster. It was horrible, seeing the boy he loved in such a state. Just when it seemed his steed could carry on no longer, familiar signs sprung up in the woods surrounding. A little cobblestone path, a large, knotted tree; they were nearing Redmont. "We're going to make it, Will." The cloaked figure said, relief flooding his voice.

Just at that moment, everything went wrong. Abruptly, the uneasy rising and falling of the dying boy's chest ceased. He was no longer breathing. "No." The man whispered, refusing to believe it was over. "Will, wake up!" For the first time in years, tears began to form in the old Ranger's eyes. "Will…"

**What did you guys think?! I'm sorry if I left you on a cliffie….OK, you're right, I'm not, but whatever! I know it's short, but it's a prologue, so I'm trying to build suspense….so tell me, am I failing? Am I winning? Review! I have a craving for opinions! Anyways, Chapter One will be up soon! -FLY**


	2. An Urgent Message

**A/N: OLAF! It's me, IFYOUCOULDFLY! I'd just like to say-THANKS! I wasn't even expecting any ratings at all, but lookie here! You guys are just too awesome. Oh, yeah, I've got a guest here with me. Will, can you do the disclaimer please? Will: The what? Me: The disclaimer…It's the thing that says John Flanagan owns Ranger's Apprentice and it's characters… Will: Whoa, what?! Somebody OWNS me?! Me: Umm…yeah how 'bout you go ahead and read you guys? This is getting awkward…**

-CHAPTER ONE-

Will slowly rose out of bed and stretched. He peeked out the window, only to see that the sun was just barely showing itself on the colored horizon. _"Funny," _he thought, grinning, _"that I've lived without Halt for months, yet still I'm accustomed to waking up at dawn." _Memories of his grizzled old mentor shouting at him to get out of bed appeared in his mind as he got dressed. He ate a typical breakfast of oatmeal and (of course) coffee, then headed out the front door, bow in hand.

Soon he was flying along the coast of Seacliff on Tug, feeling the cool sea breeze on his skin. He sighed contentedly. _"This is the way it's meant to be." _ He thought. In the quiet town of Seacliff, he had a lot of free time to enjoy himself, something that didn't come often during his apprenticeship with Halt. At dawn, nobody was out by the cliff that gave the fief its name, so he could have target practice without causing alarm to the citizens. Swiftly, he fired arrow after arrow at designated spots he used as targets: a log, a tree, even the side of an abandoned cabin. He smiled, remembering part of Halt's farewell: "Just because you're an official Ranger doesn't mean you can get lazy. You'd better keep practicing, or I'll have to go waste my time with a funeral for you."

After finishing practice and collecting his arrows, he led Tug back to his stable. "Good boy," he said, rubbing his ears and giving him an apple. _"Yeah, whatever…ooh, is that an apple?" _The shaggy pony seemed to say. Will grinned and rolled his eyes, then turned and walked back to his cabin for another cup of coffee. As he approached his home, he was surprised to see a messenger knocking on the door. "How can I help you?" He asked, suppressing a laugh as the man jumped in surprise. He kept forgetting how silently Rangers moved.

"Y-yes, Ranger Will I presume?" The messenger asked, trying to recover. Will nodded, and he handed him a letter. Will raised his eyebrow, a trait he'd picked up from his former mentor. "What's this?" "From King Duncan's advisor, sir." The messenger said, nodding his farewell. He was off quickly, seeming very eager to leave the young Ranger's presence. Shrugging, Will went inside, then opened the letter and began to read.

_King Duncan has requested that you arrive at Castle Araluen immediately. A pressing matter has arisen, one that would be safer to discuss in person, seeing as this letter could easily slip into the wrong hands. We are trusting you will arrive swiftly, Ranger Will._

_ Sincerely,_

_The Court of King Duncan_

Will frowned, sipping his coffee quietly. _"Already," _he thought, _"I'm being called to the castle." _He quickly brightened. _"If I'm wanted, Halt, Gilan, and Crowley will most certainly be there!" _After gulping the remainder of his coffee down, he ran to the stabled to fetch Tug again.

_"Oh, come ON!"_ The shaggy pony seemed to say. _"You were just here!" _ "Yeah, I know. Jeez, what kind of horse are you? We're needed at the castle." If it was possible for horses to arch their eyebrow, that's exactly what Tug was doing. _"Well, why didn't you say so? Let's go! I'm so bored here!" _ Will laughed. "Well, we'd better get going, then!"

Several hours of riding later, they were practically galloping through the forest they knew so well, on their way to the castle. "I missed this old forest, buddy." Will muttered happily to Tug, who tossed his head in return, his way of saying _"Yeah, so did I"_. He glanced up at the dimming sky. "It's getting dark, buddy. We'll make it to Castle Araluen tomorrow." Tug grunted his tired approval, and they slowed down to a trot, then walk, then finally a halt.

Will slung his leg over Tug's body and landed on the forest floor with barely a sound. It was a peaceful place at night, with hardly and noise other than crickets chirping and Tug's snorting. Will loosened Tug's girth instead of removing his saddle, not fully trusting of the dark woods at night, and slumped down by a tree. He was just beginning to doze off when he heard a twig snap.

Instantly, his hand grasped the bow next to him, and he had an arrow ready. Tug's ears were pricked in the direction of the noise. _"It might just be a rabbit," _Will thought, _"but I'm better safe than sorry." _ He glanced at Tug, who was still alert, and nodded at him. "Hello?" He called. "Is anybody out there?" There was no reply, but he hadn't expected one. Anybody sneaking around his camp wouldn't respond. What he was really looking for was another sound, like crunching leaves or snapping twigs.

He stood there for a full minute, bow still ready, Tug still prepared for action. Finally, he shrugged. "It's nothing, boy." He called to his faithful pony, who relaxed, but had a doubtful glint in his eye. He smiled. "Come on, Tug, rela-" he was cut off mid-sentence by a sharp pain in his arm.

He fell to the floor with a pained cry. Tug whinnied, frantically moving to his master to protect him. Will, with his teeth clenched, ripped the object out of his forearm: a small dart. _"Uh-oh." _He thought as the ground in front of him began to waver. "Tug!" He shouted weakly, his head pounding. He winced and, using every last drop of effort he could, muttered. "Find Halt." Tug looked at him defiantly. _"I can't leave you!" _ "Find Halt!" Will said again, in a more demanding tone, then shuddered as a wave of pain coursed through him. Everything was spinning now. In his delirious state, he made out figures emerging from the shadows.

"GO! There's nothing more you can do!" Will urged to Tug. His pony seemed reluctant. _"I can't leave you!" _ Will opened his mouth to protest, then cried out in pain as he felt hands grasp his throbbing arm. "Alright, Ranger Will, say bye-bye to Araluen!" A sleazy voice ordered. _"The messenger…" _Will thought. "Tug! GO!" He cried, seeing Tug's attempts to fight his captors. "He'll be in Redmont!" If horses could cry, that's exactly what Tug was doing. _"But Will…" _His eyes said. "Go…" Will muttered, and his horse finally seemed to accept it. He knew Tug was aware that Halt could help much more than he could. With one last regretful look at his greatest friend, Tug began to run, girth still loose, towards Redmont, and away from the people that were slowly dragging Will away. "Good…" Will whispered, watching his faithful companion tearing through the night. That was the last thing he saw before it all went black.

**A/N: Again, you guys, thank you! Yeah, this one was a lot longer, sorry 'bout the short prologue…and how this chapter jump around a lot…yikes. Oh, but I got 2 uploads in one day! That's something I guess….whatever keep reading!-FLY **


	3. Will's Captor

**A/N: OLAF! It's me, IFYOUCOULDFLY! Sorry about any confusion, I had a few failures trying to learn how to add a new chapter (fail). Anyways, thanks for reviews! They help so much! So I've got a new friend to help me with the disclaimer! _Gilan_: OK, cool! What do I do? _Me:_ Read the paper I gave you. _Gilan:_ What paper? _Me:_ *sigh* The one that says John Flanagan owns the Ranger's Apprentice story, not me. _Gilan:_ Why? What do I get? _Me:_ Nothing! We went over this, Gil! _Gilan:_ AAAH DON'T YELL AT ME! _Me:_ *sigh* Oh, whatever…just read you guys. **

-CHAPTER TWO-

***Tug's P.O.V.***

There was one thought coursing through the shaggy pony's mind: _Will. _Will was everything to him. They had been together through every daring adventure, and separation was nearly impossible. Deep down, Tug was hurting. Something in his heart told him it was his fault that his beloved companion was gone. _"No!" _He told himself. _ "You can't distract yourself! You must find Halt!" _Tug knew that Halt could find Will. He always did.

The pony had been running for days, never allowing any stops other than to eat or drink. Tug was tired, but he wouldn't waste any time. He knew the way to Redmont by heart, knew just where Halt's cabin was. He knew that Will was counting on him to find his old mentor. He knew that no matter what, he could not stop. He also knew, he thought sarcastically, that his mouth was bothering him. Days ago, his loose saddle had flown off, but his bridle stayed just where it was, meaning the reins flopped around wildly and his bit smacked into his jaw as he ran. _"Just think of Will," _He thought each time his burning mouth begged him to stop. _"Just think how they took him away, how you couldn't help, how you can help now, how you must help." _That kept him going. But the poor pony couldn't help but wonder for how long.

***Will's P.O.V***

Everything hurt.

Will, official bearer of the Silver Oakleaf, protector of Araluen, savior of countless lives, could think nothing but one thought: everything hurt.

After minutes of laying on the cold, hard cement beneath him, he began to sit up. After several failed attempts, he finally managed to prop himself up and look around. _"Where am I?" _He thought, massaging his aching arm.

He was enclosed in a room made of hard rock walls, with a small pile of hay for a pillow, but no bed. There was one window, which was barred. He looked to his right to see that there was no door, only thick iron bars across an opening. There was only one thing it could be: a prison cell.

It all came rushing back to him. The messenger, the letter, the woods. It kept replaying over and over in his mind. _"How could I do that?" _Will thought. _"The Ranger Corp would be so ashamed. I didn't even fight!" _He could see it in his head now, Halt shaking his head disapprovingly. _"Why, Will?" _He would say. _"Why would you let yourself do that?" _Will buried his head in his arms. _"Already, I've failed my duties as a Ranger!" _He thought. _"I just hope Tug reaches help in time…"_

***Tug's P.O.V.* **

Tug was galloping now. All thoughts of tiredness left him as he barreled through the forest. He recognized it now. The cobblestone path, the mangled tree; Redmont was so close! He rounded bend after bend, twisting and turning like only a Ranger horse could.

Suddenly, he turned the last corner, and the fief of Redmont burst into view. It was nighttime now, and stars twinkled overhead, but Tug pushed on. _"I'm so close now…just be okay…" _He thought, as if sending a telepathic message to Will. _"I'm so close."_

***Halt's P.O.V.***

Halt was sleeping contentedly. With Lady Pauline by his side, and everyone dear to him safe, why wouldn't he be? Araluen was in a state of peace that did not seem to be wavering. He was in the middle of a dream that was quite lovely. Pauline and he were in a beautiful field, and the sky was a brilliant. Gilan, Will, and Horace were (for once) off his back, instead talking and laughing like civilized human beings. Tug and Abelard were off in the fields, racing around, and Tug would lift his head in the air and…

Just then, a frantic whinny pierced the air. Both he and Lady Pauline rocketed out of bed. "What was that?" His wife asked. "I don't know, something's troubling Abelard." Halt muttered, lighting a lantern. He got out of bed and, as he made his way to the door, thought, _"Something better be troubling that horse, because if not…" _He flung open the door.

Standing on the doorstep was a very unexpected visitor. "T-Tug?" Halt whispered, confused. "Is that you?" The horse whipped its head crazily. "But where's…oh no." Halt peered around the horse. "Where's Will?" Lady Pauline had appeared behind him at the door. "I don't know, but Tug seems upset and has no saddle." He replied. A cold pit was forming in the Ranger's stomach. _"What if…" _he thought, but quickly dismissed it. _"No. There's no way. But Will is in trouble." _

"Pauline, I'm going to find Crowley. Something's not right here." Halt looked again at Tug, who was just about ready to collapse, but something was keeping him going. He nodded. "I think Will may be in trouble."

***Tug's P.O.V.***

Tug was relieved. The worried look on Halt's face told him that he knew exactly what needed to be done. Halt led him to the stables, where he tacked Abelard swiftly and they set out, with a quick farewell to his wife. Tug knew immediately that now was not the time for him to lead. They were going to see Crowley, he knew. They were going to get help. He cantered directly behind Abelard. Though he was exhausted, he didn't want to miss anything. He knew that he must not hold anyone back.

Soon, however, Halt stopped. The look in the Ranger's eye told Tug that he had no choice but to do the same. The pony accepted reluctantly, and quickly nodded off into the first sleep he had had in days.

***Will's P.O.V.* **

Rough hands grasped him and awoke him from his slumber. Still blurry-eyed from the drugged dart, Will muttered a few questioned, but his captors paid no mind. "You're going to answer some questions, Treaty," one of the men dragging him spat. "Yeah, and you'd better not pull any tricks." The other growled.

Will was alert again. Finally, the drug was wearing off, and he was ready to know who his captor was. After being dragged through a long string of hallways, he was shoved into a room with a large door. He looked up to see a throne, with guards positioned on each side. Will couldn't help it, he let a gasp escape his lips. These were no ordinary guards. They were Wargals.

The man sitting atop the throne laughed coldly. "Why, hello, Will Treaty. We've been awaiting your arrival." Will rolled his eyes. _"Why do they all say that?" _He thought. "What do you want?" He said abruptly. The man smirked. "Why, aren't you the fussy one? If I must, I shall tell you…" the ice-cold man leaned forward. "I want _information._" Will snorted. "You have no idea how many people have tried -and failed- to get that from me." The man smiled his cold smile again. "Ah, but I believe this case is different." Will rolled his eyes. "What makes you so sure?" He asked, voice dripping with snide hatred. Again, he just smiled. _"Gosh, how I hate that smile!" _Will thought. "Don't you know, Treaty?" The young Ranger shook his head slowly. The man leaned in, so that he was nearly touching Will.

"I'm Morgarath's son."

**A/N: And BOOM! goes the dynamite! Haha didn't see that coming, did ya? Well, neither did I…Whatever KEEP REVIEWING PEOPLE! My first fanfic, and I'm already getting totally excited! So, you guys wanna know how to fly? I'll tell you…REVIEW, FOLLOW, AND FAVORITE! HAHA join the army of the Flyers! Thanks to anyone that's already a Flyer…Next upload tomorrow! Seeya!-FLY**


	4. Will's Agony (hehehe)

**A/N: OLAF! It's me, IFYOUCOULDFLY! So I just wanna say thanks for everything, you guys! Things may get pretty busy soon, but I hope to keep updating regularly! Alright, Alyss, will you do the honors? _Alyss-_ Unbelievable. _Me-_ What? _Alyss-_ I'm NOT doing the disclaimer! _Me- _Why? C'mon! Just say that I don't own the story, John Flanagan does, and I will never own Ranger's Apprentice! _Alyss- _But you just said it. _Me- _Wait, what? Gaaah! _Alyss-_ Right, well, I'm leaving… _Me-_ OH, COME ON! RRRGH! You know the drill, guys, read it….**

***Will's P.O.V.***

Will's heart skipped a beat. "But how-" he quickly shut his mouth, ashamed that he let himself show his shock. Morgarath's son snorted. "How could Morgarath have a child? How could the wonderful _Rangers-"-_He spat as if the word were diseased-"Let this slip by? Well, I've got news for you, Treaty, your little group of so-called _legends _doesn't know everything, AND IT'S HIGH TIME THEY LEARNED THAT!" The Wargals stepped towards Will, hearing their master's enraged outburst. Morgarath's son waved them back to their positions, eyes closed. He breathed heavily, then opened his eyes again, fully composed again.

"I plan to take what was rightfully my father's, before that wretched friend of yours took it away." He sat upright in his throne, glaring daggers at Will. "From now on, you shall address me as Lord Vasanistis, nothing else. I need information, and you, Will Treaty," Vasanistis leaned in once more. "Are going to give it to me. One way or another." Then, abruptly, everything went black again.

***Crowley's P.O.V* **

Crowley slowly sipped his coffee, only half awake. His head was still pounding from last night. _"I'm making a mental note not to watch the apprentices again." _Many of the Rangers had agreed to leave their apprentices in Crowley's care for a short time so he could get some hands-on assessments with them. BIG mistake. "It's like a bunch of tiny Wills and Gilans!" He mumbled to himself. "A bunch of tiny whats?" A voice came from behind him. Crowley jumped, spilling coffee all over.

He turned around angrily. "GILAN!" He roared. The young Ranger was hanging upside-down on a tree branch behind him, grinning mischievously. "What? You're making it too easy." A bout of giggles came from behind the tree, where 5 young apprentices were watching in delight. Crowley rolled his eyes. "When I asked you to help, Gilan, I was figuring you were at least as mature as them." Gilan dropped out of the tree, a look of mock innocence on his face. "Oh, come ON, Crowley, lighten up."

"Hey, what's that?" One apprentice, a wiry red-headed boy, called, pointing to a figure galloping through the trees. Gilan smiled at the apprentices. "That," he said with a wink, "Is Ranger Halt." The group gasped. The previous night, Gilan had told them all stories of the eight-foot, bloodthirsty apprentice-killer Halt. Crowley squinted, ignoring Gilan's teasing and the apprentices' worried squabbling. "Something's not right…" he mumbled as Halt got closer.

The typically grim Ranger had an even grimmer expression. He seemed to have a glint of worry in his eye as well, which was very alarming. Even more alarming was the sight behind him. Tug was barreling along behind him, with no saddle, and even worse, no Will. Gilan appeared to have noticed as well, as he stopped his continuous taunting of the young boys and was staring at the figures approaching.

Halt halted **(hehe) **his horse abruptly, just a few yards ahead, and ran to meet them. "What's wrong?" Gilan asked quickly, all silliness aside. "I'm not sure," Halt replied quickly. "Tug here showed up on my doorstep last night, with no rider. He looks upset. I know for certain that Will is in trouble." Crowley glanced at the pony, who tossed his head in agreement. "Yes." He said. Halt looked at his quizzically. "Yes what?" Crowley rolled his eyes. "Yes, you can go after him. I'll stay here with the apprentices. Gilan, you can go with." He decided, seeing Gilan's eager expression. "I'll go get Blaze!" The young Ranger said, and was off in a flash.

"M-mister Halt?" A daring apprentice asked. The grizzled figure looked down. "Yes?" He asked impatiently. "Is-is it true that you-killed an apprentice one time?" The boy asked, avoiding Halt's stony gaze. Halt cracked a smile for the first time since Tug's sudden appearance. "Absolutely. And I'll get the lot of you if you don't scram!" The 5 companions yelped, then scurried away.

"Geez, Halt!" Gilan shouted. He had already tacked and mounted Blaze, and was trotting up behind them. "Why'd you do that? Scaring them off…you should be ashamed!" Halt glared at Gilan, who smiled sheepishly. "Let's get going." He said coldly, mounting Abelard as he went. "Tug, you lead the way!" Will's pony took off at a gallop in the direction of Will's capture, Blaze and Abelard at his heels.

Crowley watched them go, a dark thought brewing in his mind. _"Something's not right," _he thought, and across the clearing, the two riders were thinking the same thing.

***Will's P.O.V***

Will opened his eyes. The world was spinning around, and his head had a familiar foggy feeling. He squinted through the haze and realized he was in a cell. But not _his _cell. This was even worse.

All around him were racks with chains on them. Whips, daggers, and most of all, poisoned darts hung on the wall around him. Dried blood stained the brick floors below him. _"A torture chamber." _Will thought.

"My favorite room of the house. Don't you agree?" A pompous voice asked sarcastically. Will opened his mouth to reply as the effects of whatever drug he had been given wore off, but was cut off. "Oh, no time for small chat, Ranger, we have business to do." He gave that obnoxious smile. "Look over here, Treaty." Will followed Vasanistis's gaze to a large, muscular man beside him. He was holding a whip in his hands. "This," Vasanistis chattered, clearly enjoying himself, "is Brutus. He's here in case you decide to do something…Ranger-like." Will rolled his eyes. _"Ranger-like?" _He thought. Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain on his back, and he cried out in pain. Realization struck him: he was hanging in chains, and he had been whipped. Hard.

"Uh-uh-uh!" Vasanistis reprimanded in a babyish tone, wagging his finger. "Don't be rude, _Treaty." _He cackled. "Now, shall we start?" Will grunted, still in pain. "Good! Now, you _Rangers _seem to know every little nook and cranny of Castle Araluen, don't you?" Will nodded stiffly, he didn't like where this was going. "Well tell me, where could an assassin get a clear shot at King Duncan?" Will remained silent and shut his eyes, bracing for impact, and it came. The whip cracked down on his raw flesh, ripping open the skin. He let a cry of agony escape his lips, which brought a smile to his captor's face. "Now, Will, why don't you give me an answer?" Will winced, but managed to reply with a weak, "No…" the whip cracked against his skin once more, bringing tears of pain to his eyes, which he quickly blinked away.

For nearly five minutes it went on like this, the whip endlessly tearing at Will's skin. He was bleeding. Badly. Vasanistis knew that Will would soon pass out. "I'm asking one more time, Treaty. Cooperate, now." The solemn Ranger remained silent; it was to painful to reply or shake his head. The son of Morgarath let out a sigh. "Oh, well. What a bother you are. No matter. We will pick up where we left off tomorrow." Will suppressed a groan. "For now," Vasanistis continued, "It's bedtime for Rangers." With a nod of his head, the torturer set his whip to the side and picked up something that made Will's stomach flip. A knife.

"No…" He groaned, but the poisoned blade was already pushed through his shoulder, making Will gasp. Never before had anything hurt this bad. Ever. "Notice, Treaty, that you haven't blacked out right away. Just like in the forest where you were captured. That's due to certain amounts of dosage. I have to select wisely. Here, I want you to feel the pain. Lots of it. This is what happens when you don't cooperate. And in the forest," he smiled wickedly, "I wanted to give you enough time to lure your friends into the trap."

_"No…" _Will thought. _"How could I? Now Halt will be in danger…not Halt…" _tears threatened to surface as the world began to spin. _"I'm sorry." _He thought, as if sending a telepathic message to his friends. _"I'm so sorry I've failed you." _And then, just like before, the world went black.

**A/N: bum-bum-bum! Haha…the things I do to poor Will… _Will: _Yeah, thanks for that… _Me: _No problem! Hehehe….but anyways thanks so much you guys (wow I say that a LOT)! Go ahead…review…follow me….favorite….(insert more shameless attempts to win you innocent readers over here). Well, next update tomorrow! For now, keep reading!-FLY**


	5. Larkshire's Secrets

**A/N: OLAF! It's me, IFYOUCOULDFLY! Another day, another upload! So good news: I'll be able to keep at this for a long time! :D! I had a large commitment that was getting in the way of my personal, but that's over now! So prepare for more fanfics ;P…alright, Tug, disclaimer please. _Tug: _*Nickers _Me: _Oh yeah….you're a horse…fine whatever. John Flanagan owns Ranger's Apprentice, and I never will, blah blah whatever…*sigh. _Tug: _*whinnies**

-CHAPTER FOUR-

***Gilan's P.O.V***

They had been riding for nearly a day now, and Gilan was starting to wonder if he was the only one getting tired. He glanced over, just to see if there was any hope at all for a rest, but saw the same sight as usual. Tug was still leading them hurriedly through the woods, and Halt looked to worried to sleep at all. He sighed. "Fat chance…" he mumbled to himself. "Of what?" Halt asked suddenly, not taking his eyes of the shaggy pony ahead of them. Gilan rolled his eyes. "I forgot, nothing gets by you. I was wondering about a possible chance of a rest, but it seems that you…"

Suddenly, Tug stopped and stood still, whipping his head around. Halt was already on the ground, looking for signs. Gilan shrugged and swung his leg around the saddle to accompany his former mentor. He squinted at the ground. "There's a part here where the leaves are tossed around, like somebody was kicking the ground." He said, but Halt shook his head. "No, more likely someone-Will-was being dragged. See? Here's a shred of his cloak." He held up a tattered piece of material that had been clinging to a rock. Gilan nodded, then continued looking. There were no signs of a fight, which he pointed out to Halt, who agreed. "And that's what bothers me most. I doubt he-"

"Over here!" Gilan said, holding up a thin cylinder with a needle at the end: a dart. Halt frowned. "That explains a few things." he muttered. Gilan nodded with satisfaction, stuffing the dart in his belt. "It seems," he remarked, glancing over Halt's shoulder, "that there's a clear path of tossed leaves from here." Halt quickly agreed, but with a glint of suspicion in his eyes. "A little too clear…" "Like they wanted us to follow. What do we do?" Gilan finished. His former mentor glared. "What else can we do? We're going to follow the path. We can't just leave Will!" Gilan nodded hastily. "I wasn't suggesting-" "Oh, weren't you?" The old Ranger turned and stalked away, jumping on Abelard once more.

Gilan sighed and mounted Blaze. _"I guess I'm not the only tired one," _he thought, quickly following the Ranger ahead of him.

***Will's P.O.V.***

Will opened his eyes and panicked. _"Where am I?" _He thought frantically. He tried to move, but found that his arms were bound. "Sleep well, Ranger?" A cold voice cooed in mock innocence. Upon hearing the voice, everything came rushing back. "Vasanistis…" he mumbled, shuddering as he realized where he was.

_Snap! _Will cried out in pain as his newly formed cut reopened. The stinging sensation of Brutus's whip was all too familiar. "Now, now, Treaty, this is going to be a _very _long day if you don't cooperate. _What _is my title?" Will clenched his teeth. Every single part of him wanted to say something snarky or sarcastic, but he knew it would result in pain. _"Sarcasm…that reminds me of somebody…" _to his alarm, he had forgotten who it was. _"HALT!" _He thought suddenly, remembering. He was relieved, but startled that he could have forgotten his mentor so easily.

"I'm waiting…" Vasanistis called impatiently. Will suppressed a groan as he said through clenched teeth, "Lord Vasanistis." The smile on the wicked man's face made his blood boil. "See now, my young friend? You're already starting to crumble!" He giggle with sadistic glee, like a child presented with a new toy. For some reason, Will was very bothered by this. _"Vasanistis couldn't be break me already…could he?" _

***Halt's P.O.V***

Something was troubling Halt. It just didn't add up in his mind. The path they were to follow was mind-numbingly simple, and what's more, it was leading them straight into Larkshire, a small town by the coast where residents were known to be particularly nosy. Anybody passing in or out was noted. They had a knack for picking out people to be suspicious of, and were eager to gossip. _"They seem as though they want to be found," _Halt thought grimly. He had an odd sense they were walking into something very dangerous, and whoever was behind it was expecting them.

"HALT!" A voice shouted from ahead. He looked up expectantly, only to see a guard. _"Oh, right," _he thought, _"that Halt." _The guard, seeing his smirk, glared. "Who might you be? State your business!" Gilan cleared his throat. "We're King's Rangers, and we're just passing by." The guard instantly gulped. "Oh…of course, it's just…." "Just what?" Halt cut in. "Well-there was some one else here, 'bout three nights back, same cloak as you two…" The pair raised their brows. "Brown hair? Thin? Short?" Halt asked quickly, spirits falling as the guard shook his head. "No…just a cloaked guy, maybe your age," he said, pointing to Gilan, "and had this weird look about 'im. He and is buddies were carryin' somethin', a big crate-" Tug snorted, interrupting the guard, and the two Rangers exchanged a worried look. The guard, confused, started up again. "Riiight… anyways, later that day, they caused some trouble. Took a ship of ours, sailed right off. And 'fore you go askin', I don't know where they went, just that a rescue ship is 'bout to sail on out, lookin' for it."

Halt nodded swiftly. "Thank you," he muttered, then continued on, riding through the streets, Tug and Gilan in tow.

***Will's P.O.V.***

The typically pompous smirk on Vasanistis's face had vanished long ago, replaced by one of anger and exasperation. Again and again, the whip cracked on his back, again and again, Will cried in pain, but again and again, he refused to answer to his captor. "TELL ME!" Vasanistis erupted. "TELL ME WHERE THE RANGER CORP IS STATIONED!" Each day it was a new question, each day no answer. Today, however, the normally calm son of Morgarath was snapping.

Will had told himself over and over not to reply, knowing it would result in misery, but this time he couldn't resist. The pain was so unbearable, it was hard to imagine anything worse. "For God's sake, Vasanistis, don't you think I would've told you sooner if I were going to?" He instantly regretted it. 5, 8, 10 times the whip cracked on his back in rapid succession. Finally, the young Ranger slipped into unconsciousness, unable to bear the pain any longer. Vasanistis glared at the figure with deep hatred. "Take him away!" he snarled to the guards by the door.

"Brutus." He barked once Will had been dragged away. "Yes, my Lord?" the burly figure grunted. "Next time, don't use the whip." For a split second, shock flashed across the servant's face as he realized what was to happen, but quickly regained his indifferent manner. "Of course, my Lord." He nodded, and he couldn't help it; he felt sorry for what was to happen to the young Ranger.

***Horace's P.O.V.***

Larkshire was a troubled village. There were whispers, he knew. Of Wargals coming back from the mountains, murdering villagers who were out past dark. Horace typically dismissed such rumors, but something told him that not all was as it seemed in Larkshire. Being a knight, his job was to protect endangered citizens, so he had made his way to the small seaside town. At the moment, he was in a popular tavern, awaiting any suspicious gossip from the townsfolk that could lead him to discovery.

His gaze flicked across the room, and he quickly made his way over to a large huddle of people. He couldn't see the center through the close-knit group, so he tapped the shoulder of a nearby man, who turned around, clearly annoyed. "What's going on here?" He asked, ignoring the man's glares. His face brightened, eager to gossip. "Well, there're these two guys here. Kinda strange-lookin', if you ask me, but that's none of my business." _"Since when has that ever stopped any of you?" _He thought."They're askin' 'bout that hooded guy, the one who stole the ship." Horace nodded, word traveled fast in Larkshire, so he was familiar with the story. He was about to ask for further information when a voice called his name from the middle of the huddle.

He glanced around, and was shocked to see two of the people he'd never have imagined to be there. "Halt? Gilan? What are you doing here?" The older Ranger shook his head. "I'd ask the same of you, but I don't think we can talk here." He said, eyeing the curious onlookers, who awkwardly looked away. Horace nodded. "I've got a room set up nearby. We can talk there."

Later that night, Horace told them the story of why he was there, and Halt told him theirs. After listening, the young knight leaned back in his bed, rubbing his temples. He was worried. Will was an outstanding Ranger, it would be hard to capture him unless somebody knew what he was doing. "I'm going with you," he said, to make sure there was no confusion. Halt, however, had different opinions. "What about Larkshire? You can't abandon a mission!"

Horace shook his head. "I have a feeling," he said, "that they're connected." The Rangers, again, raised their eyebrows. "You can't mean-" Gilan started. "Oh, yes I can." Horace said.

**A/N: *sigh…sorry this chapter sucked. I know it's really long (and really crappy), but I had to fit in a lot of crap to get the story moving. Hopefully the next one won't be as bad!...but anyways thanks so much for everything! YOU GUYS ARE AMAZING! Keep reading and, rest assured, I'm NOT abandoning this story (though you may want to after this chapter)! Next upload tomorrow!-FLY**


	6. Controlled

**A/N: OLAF! It's me, IFYOUCOULDFLY! So…whoa. You guys are too amazing for words. I went to SLEEP, and my reviews doubled! Hehe…wow…I'm so grateful! Anyways, read on! Oh…yeah…the dis- _Jenny: _I'll do it, I guess! _Me: _Oh…well I was kinda going to ask- _Jenny: _Why, am I not good enough? _Me: _WHAT? NO! Well, I mean... _Jenny: _Just say it yourself! _Me: _NO! _Jenny: _Fine, then, be difficult! _*crack! Me: _OW! Did you _seriously _just hit me with your ladle? OW! STOP! FINE! I DON'T AND NEVER WILL OWN RANGER'S APPRENTICE JOHN FLANAGAN DOES ARE YOU HAPPY?!...just read.**

-CHAPTER FIVE-

***Halt's P.O.V.***

"You have got to be kidding me." The Ranger growled. He hated boats. He hated sailing. And he _especially _hated sailing in a boat that was basically a hunk of wood messily nailed together. The skipper in front of him shrugged. "I'm sorry, sir, but we can't wait any longer. We have a good idea where the ship was headed and this is the only ship we've got right now that's ready to sail. If you want whatever it is that you lost, you'll have to get on."

"Just go with it, Halt." Horace said with a slight hint of amusement in his voice. It wasn't often he got to see his friend's old mentor so sickened. "Halt, really," Gilan said with mock disappointment. "Don't be such a baby!" As soon as he finished, he collapsed, wheezing. Realizing his old friend had just knocked all the wind out of him, he clambered up, trying to recover.

"We'll take the offer, thank you very much!" Horace rushed, seeing the horrified look on the skipper's face before Halt could protest, and Gilan could stop gasping, they were shoved onto the rickety ship, their mounts in tow. The skipper shrugged, climbing on after them. "Make yourselves at home. There's open beds downstairs."

The friends nodded their thanks (except for Halt, who just grunted), and climbed down to the bottom deck, unaware that the man they had just left behind was grinning evilly. Of course, the real captain of the ship was in his cabin. He couldn't take any chances revealing himself, that cursed pony might recognize him. Indeed, he was the very man that dragged away Will that one night. The man that organized the stealing of Larkshire's best ship. The messenger.

***Will's P.O.V.***

Will was pacing in circles. The guards outside his cell kept whispering that he'd gone mad, but he knew he had to keep moving. And keep thinking. Every day, he went through all the people in his life- Halt, Tug, Horace, Gilan, Alyss, Evanlyn…each time thinking of all the things he loved about them.

Finally, he sat down again, rubbing his wounded back. _"How on earth did I get into this mess?" _He thought, resting his head in knees. For a moment, he almost slipped away, nearly let his emotions loose, but just in time, the guards grabbed him.

"C'mon, Ranger." One of them, Gerald, grunted. "Yeah, Lord Vasanistis had something…_special _in mind for you." The other, Finley, smirked. _"Great…." _Will thought, but walked along with them, refusing to be dragged like helpless rag doll.

Soon they were in a large room that Will had never seen before. What was more, it was completely white and completely empty, save Brutus, a white table, and two white chairs. What shocked the young Ranger was that Vasanistis was not there.

"Will, we're here to help." Gerald suddenly whispered in his ear. Will's head sprang up in shock. "Yeah, you don't think we really _like _Vasanistis, do you?" Finley prompted. Seeing the look of disbelief on his face, the pair let go. "Just talk to Brutus. He'll help you escape." They left the room in a hurry, leaving Will and the man that had tortured him alone.

"Sit, Will." The large man ordered, gesturing to the chair opposite him. The Ranger made his way across the room hesitantly, but obeyed. This man had caused him enough pain to know that disobeying him was a _very _bad idea.

"I suppose you want to know what's happening here." Brutus stated, and Will nodded warily. To his surprise, his torturer smiled. "Obviously. Will Treaty, I hate Vasanistis. With all my heart. Sadly, I cannot do anything. But you…you can. Only if you escape, and I fully intend to aid you in doing so." Will's eyebrows shot up. Every Ranger instinct was telling him not to, but for some reason, he believed Brutus. "I'm listening…"

The burly servant smiled again. "I thought so. I plan to give you an opening. There's a rescue ship coming, as Vasanistis's spies have discovered. They plan to recover a stolen ship we have stored here. It's the perfect opportunity for escape." Will suddenly sensed that something was wrong.

He couldn't explain, but for some reason, Brutus's eyes were like a magnet. They were so big…and deep black…like the pupils were swallowing him whole…. A flicker of fear ran through Will's mind as he realized what was happening, but was quickly replaced with complete calm. _"What is there to be worried about? I'm safe here…" _he thought sleepily.

Brutus quickly recognized the clouded look in the Ranger's eye. He had been successfully hypnotized.

Ever since he was a boy, Brutus had had a peculiar talent. He could easily let people's minds slip under his control. This talent scared him, and he kept it hidden, but Vasanistis had discovered it. Though Brutus could not remember, he had a wife and son that meant the world to him. When Vasanistis had threatened to kill them in exchange for hypnotizing himself, he knew what must be done. Soon, he became Vasanistis's personal servant, never disobeying a command. He had gathered people from all around, convincing them to join the army of the son of Morgarath.

"Will? Can you hear me?" A voice came from behind Brutus. Vasanistis, who had been listening from another room, had slinked in like a shadow.

"Yes." The Ranger replied in an even tone. "Good. I want to ask something of you. I believe it would benefit us both if you would simply do as I ask from now on." Will nodded. Gone was the slightly childish, quick-to-anger Vasanistis Brutus typically knew, here was the smooth-talking Lord that had slipped into so many people's minds.

"Good boy, Will." Vasanistis smiled, and Will's face lit up at the sound of his master's praise. "Now, Will, I want you to forget all about what happened here when I ring my bell, okay?" He said, holding up a small silver object. The Ranger nodded.

"How strong is his mind, Brutus?" He asked, turning to Brutus. "Very strong my Lord," he replied. "You will have to keep him controlled at intervals, maybe only thirty minutes at a time. I imagine, however, that after being kept in your control for long periods of time, he will begin to stay hypnotized longer. Eventually he will be permanently yours, my Lord."

A freezing smile played across his lips. "Wonderful. Now, Will, whenever I ring the bell and you are…erm…calm," Vasanistis said, choosing his words carefully, "I want you to forget all about it. But if I ring the bell again, become just like this again." Will nodded obediently. "Yes, my Lord."

After allowing himself a moment to revel in his success (a Ranger! He controlled a Ranger!), Vasanistis shoved him out the door, down the hall, and into his cell. "Good night, _Treaty,_" he sneered, then rang the bell, quickly running off to his room.

Will awoke abruptly. There was a slight thought in his mind, something warning him that he was in great danger, but he quickly shrugged it off. _"Strange, can't remember my dream," _he thought, then went back to sleep.

**A/N: MWAHAHAHA! The things I do to poor little Will….hehe. So I'm glad to say I overcame a tiny bout of writer's block and now I have a fairly good idea of what I'll be doing with this story…NOT THAT I'LL BE TELLING YOU! But anyways, thanks SO super much to all you that have reviewed, followed, and favorited! I LUV U GUYS! Anyways, keep reading! Next update tomorrow!-FLY**


	7. An Exciting Arrival

**A/N: OLAF! It's me, IFYOUCOULDFLY! So I think I'll just go ahead and do the disclaimer right now. _Horace: _Right, what do I do? _Me: _Read off the sheet of paper I gave you… _Horace: _Alrigh' the'…I dfont ofweofih oewfiweoafoihde isfhsoifuhde. _Me: _Umm…Horace, I can't understand you with food in your mouth… _Horace: _Forseigh _Me: _UGH! JUST SAY IT! SAY THAT JOHN FLANAGAN OWNS RANGER'S APPRENTICE! _Horace: _Sheef…iefhe iwefhwi jdfhasd ajskh! _Me: _WHATEVER! So anyways guys, thanks for all the support you've given me! You guys are amazing! _Horace: _*gulp Yeah, amazing! _Me: _Oh, shut up, Horace!**

-CHAPTER SIX-

***Brutus's P.O.V.***

"Come on, Will, why don't you tell me?" Vasanistis cooed, as if talking to a baby. Brutus watched in wonder. Never before had any subject of his hypnotism put up so much resistance. It had been nearly ten minutes, and the young Ranger still wore an expression of confliction. The burly man could tell that on the inside, whatever part of him was still conscious was desperately trying to stay strong.

"Will, I know you're a good boy. Just answer the question. When is King Duncan vulnerable?" Vasanistis continued. Will bit his lip and, for good measure, Vasanistis added, "Will, I am your master. You don't want to disappoint your master, do you?" This seemed to reach him.

"No, my Lord." Will mumbled, then continued in a stronger tone. "When King Duncan is holding a trial, he becomes somewhat…oblivious to his surroundings. There's a ledge a few meters away, where an assassin could have a clear range. I keep telling that to Ha-"

Will stopped mid-sentence, and Brutus immediately recognized what was happening. "He's wakening, my Lord." He said quickly, pulling a dart from his pocket. He fired at the Ranger, then allowed the guards to drag his body away.

Something was bothering Brutus. For a moment, he looked at his master and felt…hatred. Quickly, however, he shrugged the feeling off. _"I'm letting that Ranger get to me," _he thought, shaking his head. _"You're forgetting your duties, Brutus!" _He proceeded to refill his case of darts. Still, even as he was about to slip into a dream, he couldn't help thinking for a second that what he was doing might be…wrong.

***Horace's P.O.V.* **

They had been traveling for days, and Horace was getting restless, as was Gilan. Halt was just getting queasy.

"So where are we going again?" He asked to no one in particular, and Halt sighed. "Like I've said a _million _times, we're heading to Toscano." Gilan, who was twiddling his thumbs in the corner of their cramped cabin, glanced up. "Where the heck is that?" Halt sighed again, this time more annoyed, and replied: "As I said another _million _times, it's south of Gallica. I'm going to go insane in this god-forsaken cabin. And if you ask me, there's something really fishy about this boat."

Horace snorted, and Halt turned to glare at him. "What?" he barked impatiently. "Well," the knight said, "You said that this boat was _fishy, _and we're in…a…boat…" he trailed of, seeing the withering look on the old Ranger's face. "Just saying…" he mumbled.

Just then, a whinny pierced the air. Each of the three companions shot up like a rocket. "TUG!" They shouted in unison, running up the steps to the top deck where their horses were stabled. **(Yes. They have stables. Don't question it.)**

The sight upstairs was a peculiar one. The "skipper" was desperately trying to protect a man as Tug desperately tried to kill him. The man, though they knew nothing of it, was the messenger.

"Tug!" Halt shouted, rushing to calm the pony. Tug, realizing the three had the situation under control, settled down.

"I think you'd better explain." Horace said bitterly, glaring at the messenger, who glared back. "EXPLAIN? Your damn horse tried to kill me! Why don't _YOU _explain?!" he screamed hysterically. "Because-" Gilan cut in angrily. "Tug doesn't just _do_ that. He needs a reason, and I expect that whatever it was, it had to do with Will." "I DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH HIS CAPTURE!" He screamed, then quickly shut his mouth, realizing his mistake.

Halt rolled his eyes. "Well, that was easy. So go ahead. Give us answers. And I can _tell _if you're lying." The messenger shuddered, knowing it was useless to protest. "Fine. I helped in the capture of your friend. We're headed to the castle where he's being held right now." Halt glared. "And? Who's taken him? They're expecting us, I suppose. But wh-" he stopped, seeing the man wouldn't be talking. He nearly throttled the man, had Horace not stopped him.

"It doesn't matter, Halt." He said. "I think we're about to find out." Halt followed the young man's pointed finger to a shape in the distance: an island, with a pointed shape on top, obviously a castle of some sort. Will was so close now. They just hoped he was okay.

***Brutus's P.O.V.***

"Yes, my Lord?" The practically breathless servant gasped. He had come as soon as he heard there was an urgent need for him. He glanced around, feeling somewhat awkward. Brutus had never been in his master's personal quarters before.

"Brutus, prepare for visitors." Vasanistis muttered quietly, not taking his eyes away from massive window on the opposite side of the room. For a moment, Brutus hesitated. "My Lord? Does-does this mean-"

"Yes!" Vasanistis cried gleefully. In his eye was a glint of excitement the burly servant had never seen before. "My perfect plan is falling into place!" He shouted, practically squealing with joy.

Brutus took off at a run down the humungous marble staircase, shouting orders as he went. "Lord Vasanistis requires all men prepared! Crossbowmen in their places! Prepare for a resistance!" He cried. In their state of hypnotism, this was a day the castle's residents had been waiting for. The barracks, kitchens, and jails buzzed with excitement.

In his cell, Will hear Gerald and Finley whispering, a tone of angst in their voice. He knew something was happening, something big, but he wasn't sure what.

**A/N: The finale creeps closer! Again, thanks for the AMAZING amount of support you guys have given me, it makes this even more fun for me! I LOVE LOVE LOVE writing this series, and I hope you LOVE LOVE LOVE reading it ;)!-FLY**


	8. The Bowshot

**A/N: OLAF! It's me, IFYOUCOULDFLY! Thanks again (one day I'm gonna go back and count all the times I've said that to you) for everything! I'm reaching the end of this series (this isn't the end, but I'm close), so if you have any suggestions for a new series to write, tell me! Oh…and I guess it's disclaimer time. _Vasanistis: _What? ME? _Me: _Um…yeah…I guess. Look, I ran out of people! _Vasanistis: _But…I'm evil…_ Me: _yeah…. _Vasanistis: _ Well, I won't do it! Cuz…you know…that sounds like an evil thing to do! _Me: _FINE! DON'T! JOHN FLANAGAN OWNS RANGER'S APPRENTICE… but I own YOU. _Vasanistis: _Wait…what? Uh-oh… *explodes* -Read on! Oh, and a warning: EXCESSIVE P.O.V. CHANGES MAY OCCUR!**

-CHAPTER SEVEN-

***Halt's P.O.V.***

Halt dropped to the ground. "Finally," he mumbled, "I'm off that wretched ship." The other two climbed off the boat, staring at the castle before them.

It was a strange castle, built grandly, but with an aura of darkness surrounding it. Halt glanced around the walls and, on the highest floor, a lone figure stood in a window. "This is eerie." He finally said, and the other two behind him nodded in agreement.

"I can tell there are people here, somewhere, but I don't know where." Horace sighed. To his surprise, the Rangers agreed. Typically, the mysterious members of the Ranger Corp were skilled in the art of detection.

"So what do we do?" Gilan asked his former mentor, who bit his lip. "I think," Halt began carefully, "That we should take a typical course of action." Gilan raised his brow. "Which means…."

"What, we just go up and knock?" Horace asked sarcastically. Halt stared at him, dead serious. "I say that's exactly what we do."

***Will's P.O.V.***

Will awoke in the arms of Gerald and Finley. His glanced around, head swimming, and realized he was in the throne room of Vasanistis. He opened his mouth to ask something, when suddenly, a faint sound, a bell, rang out.

Instantly, he felt himself drift into a dreamlike state. He was completely at peace, and had one will: to serve.

Over the past few days, he had become very attached to Vasanistis in his hypnotized state. Lately, he had been obeying the evil man's every wish, with barely any forethought. Vasanistis, in turn, believed that now was the time for his plan to fall into place.

***Horace's P.O.V.***

"I can't _believe _I'm doing this," Horace muttered to himself, then kicked the door open.

To his shock, there was nothing. The massive hallways were completely empty, with no sign of life. He almost shouted an automatic _"Hello?" _before realizing the stupidity of that move. Instead, he began to creep forward.

Originally, the three had planned to have Horace barge in and create a diversion, while Halt and Gilan tried to find the prison cells, but there was, in fact, no diversion to create. There was nobody here.

Horace began to wander, trying to find Halt and Gilan. _"Well, I feel stupid," _he thought, just he hit the ground with a _thud. _"Wha-" he cried, and then it all went black.

***Halt's P.O.V.***

"I found it!" Gilan whisper-screamed from in front of him. "Great! So start moving and get your butt out of my face. NOW." Halt growled.

The two Rangers were crawling through the castle, or rather, _under _the castle. The pair had quickly picked out a poorly hidden escape hatch, and immediately began to investigate. Soon, Halt had grown tired of listening to Gilan's obnoxious whispering, and it had only been about a minute. _"I hope Horace is having better luck." _He thought.

"See? I told you I found it!" Gilan whispered. They had finally found an end to the miserably stuffy passageway, and erupted into fresh air. They glanced around, observing their surroundings. "We're obviously in a wine cellar of some sort, so that means the jail must be nearby." Halt muttered, half to himself.

The two Rangers found the exit quickly and quietly and, to their surprise, there were no guards positioned at the door. Or anywhere along the hallway.

"I don't like this," Halt murmured, and Gilan nodded. "No time to lose, though. The jail must be close by." He continued, running silently down the hall, Gilan in tow.

And indeed, it was. The pair soon found a pair of stairs leading deep down into the earth. The took the steps two at a time, eager to find Will. The prison burst into view and…

"There's. Nobody. Here." Halt growled, and the two Rangers dropped to their knees. "Was this just a joke?" Gilan asked angrily. "A diversion or something? Is Will even _here?!" _Suddenly a voice rang out from the shadows. "Believe me, he is."

The two shot up, only to fall back down. "Halt!" Gilan shouted. "What's happening-" and the young Ranger fell into unconsciousness. Halt cursed, looking at the dart in his arm. _"At least we'll see Will soon-I hope…." _ Soon, Gerald and Finley were dragging the unconscious Rangers upstairs, and even they were unaware of what was to come.

Halt's head was pounding, the world was spinning, and he had no idea where he was. "Halt?" a voice next to him. He turned to see Gilan on his right, and Horace on his left. The strange thing was, they were both tied up.

Suddenly, he realized that he was as well. And across the room was a man, the same one he had seen in the window. He opened his mouth to ask a question, but was cut off.

"How fun!" The man across the room said in a giddy tone. "I've got three of the people I hate most, right here in one place!" Halt narrowed his eyes. "Do I _know_ you?" He growled, but the man just shook his head cheerily. "No, but you know my father." Seeing the blank look on the three's faces, he grinned. "Morgarath."

A pin could have dropped. "How?" Horace finally blurted, and Vasanistis was about to continue with the same sunny disposition, when a muscular figure burst into the room.

"Lord Vasanistis, I believe the subject is permanently in control." The servant rushed. Halt frowned. "What does that mean? What's going on?" He shouted. Vasanistis smiled. "Only one way to find out." He pulled out a bell and rang it.

***Will's P.O.V.* **

Will was frantically rushing up the stairs. The bell meant that his master needed him, and he didn't want to disappoint his master. He burst into the throne room, not even noticing the three people chained to the wall. "My Lord?" He gasped, kneeling before Vasanistis. His master smiled. "Good work, Brutus!" He praised, and Will's face lit up.

On the other side of the room, three people watched in horror. _"My Lord? What did they do?" _Horace thought. "WILL!" Halt shouted, unable to contain himself.

For the first time, Will spun around to see his three closest friends chained to a wall. Instantly, his face scrunched up. He was battling himself for control of his own mind. "Ignore them, Will. They don't mean anything." Vasanistis assured, but Will remained conflicted. "But…why do they know my name?"

Halt's heart broke. The boy he had spent so many years with, that had become a son to him, didn't even remember him. "Will!" Horace called. "It's me, Horace! Your friend? Remember?"

Will's eyes, to the three's relief, showed a slight spark of recognition, but was quickly replaced when the bell rang again. "No," Will shook his head. "No, no, no. You're not. My Lord?" He said, looking to Vasanistis for guidance, and again Halt's heart broke. The son of Morgarath smiled. "Good boy. You know what? Let's have fun."

He stared down each one of the three on the wall. "Him." Vasanistis finally said, pointing at Gilan. "Shoot him." Will's face instantly contorted. "But…." "BUT?!" Vasanistis screeched, face turning purple. "DID YOU JUST DEFY YOUR MASTER?!" Will shook his head. "No, my Lord, of course not. I just-" "Do it then." Vasanistis demanded, calm once more.

Will picked a bow up off the table beside him and stared at Gilan. "Will, don't!" Halt cried. "Remember! _Please, _just remember!" Again, the inner Will was battling the hypnotized one. His head was pounding as voices, very tiny ones in the back of his mind, screamed to be heard.

"Will. Do it now. Make me proud, Will." Vasanistis cooed. That seemed to work. _"I must make him proud," _Will thought.

He raised the bow, pointed it at Gilan….and shot.

**A/N: Hehehe….I left you at a cliffie….so, yeah. Long chapter. I'm getting excited, hope you guys are too! Next update tomorrow (as usual), so hang in there! A lot of crap will happen next time, so be prepared!...hehe. Keep reviewing!-FLY**


	9. Death of a Hero

**A/N: OLAF! It's me, IFYOUCOULDFLY! So when we last saw our characters…stuff went down. Hehe…don't hate me for that cliffie! Lots of you made guesses on what was gonna happen…thanks for that! I just wanna hurry up and write, so I'll go ahead and do the disclaimer: _King Duncan: _You must be kidding. _Me: _WHAAAT? _King Duncan: _I'm king of Araluen, and you want me to do a DISCLAIMER? _Me: _Well….um…. _King Duncan: Whatever, I'm leaving. _Me: Aw. Poop. So I guess John Flanagan owns Ranger's Apprentice, not me, and all that jazz. *sigh.**

-CHAPTER EIGHT-

***Will's P.O.V.***

The young Ranger cried out in pain. "GILAN!" Three people shouted, one of them being Will. "No, no, no!" Will cried, tears running down his cheeks as rushed over to meet his friend.

The arrow was lodged in his shoulder, but suddenly, that didn't seem to matter. "Will…you're okay…" Gilan whispered tentatively. "But you're not!" Will shouted through his sobs. "I'll be fine, Will." Gilan said as Will pulled out the arrow. "It didn't go in deep, it's already feeling better. I'm just glad you're safe."

Will stared at him, confused. "But I-" abruptly, he was cut off by a horrible sound: a bell ringing.

For a moment, his eyes clouded over, and he could feel reality slipping away. In a desperate attempt to stay conscious, he grabbed Gilan's shoulder.

"AUGH!" The Ranger cried out in pain, and Will was jolted back into reality. For a moment, all was fine, but slowly, the effects of hypnotism began to creep back in. "STOP! NO!" Will screamed, falling to the ground. He clutched his head and shook it, as if trying to shake of a monster. "NO! NO! NO!"

Only feet away, Halt watched in desperation as the boy who was a son to him writhed on the floor. "Stay strong, Will!" He cried. In opposition, Vasanistis yelled, "Just relax Will. Relax. Relax."

Slowly, the Ranger calmed down. "Yes, my Lord?" He asked feebly. Vasanistis smiled. "Good, you're back. Now kill them." Will slowly rose to his feet, a helpless look on his face. "Will…please…" Horace whispered.

The young Ranger reached for his bow, but stopped. In a small voice, he whispered: "No." Across the room, Vasanistis frowned. "What did you say?" He asked, confused. Will kept his gaze on the ground, slowly picking up not his bow, but another choice of weapon. "No. No, no, no, NO, NO!" He screeched, and flew across the room at his former master, saxe knives in hand.

Vasanistis was ready.

Halt, Horace, and Gilan could do nothing but watch as Will desperately tried to kill Vasanistis, who evaded every attack. It was, in retrospect, an uneventful fight, with each opponent constantly missing, but for the four spectators, it was the most nerve-racking event of all. Finally, after many failed attempts, one of Will's knives struck home.

Vasanistis screeched in agony as the blade sunk deep into his chest, tearing apart his skin. Will was caught off guard by his sudden reaction, and in that one tiny moment, the son of Morgarath was upon him.

_"You." _He snarled, holding his sword high above his head. "You are going to pay." Will closed his eyes, bracing for impact. _"I'm going to die now." _Will thought helplessly. _"I'm going to die." _Suddenly, the weight was ripped away, and he hear Vasanistis cry out in pain. He opened his eyes and nearly gasped.

Brutus was lying on the floor, and Vasanistis was gone. Will rushed over to the burly torturer, grasping his arm.

"I remember now." Brutus whispered. "I had a wife. And a son. He took them away from me." He shuddered in pain, then continued. "You let me remember. Can-can you find them? Let them know what happened?"

Will nodded sadly, tears forming in his eyes once again. "Good. They live in…in a town. Called Larkshire." The man burst into fit of strangled coughing, and Will grabbed his arm tighter. "I let him get away." Brutus croaked, and Will smiled softly. "It's OK. You saved my life." He said, wincing as Brutus began to hack again.

Abruptly, he stopped, and a warm smile spread across his face. "Thank you, Will…" he whispered, and he was gone.

Tears in his eyes, he stumbled over to Halt, Horace, and Gilan, easily slicing their chains. Once they were free, Halt and Horace ran to Gilan. The wound was bleeding slightly, but was not serious at all. "I missed. Thank God." Will muttered. "I was aiming for your heart." Gilan nodded reassuringly. "It's alright, Will. Can't blame you.

Once Gilan's wound had been dressed, the three turned to Will. Unexpectedly, Halt was the first to move. He wrapped his arms around his former apprentice. "I was worried." He said, and that was enough. Will began to cry again.

Gilan and Horace joined the embrace, and for a second, all was right. Finally, however, they pulled away, Gilan and Horace beaming, Halt looking slightly awkward. Will glanced out the window and sighed. "There he goes." Will mumbled, spirits sinking.

"And here we go!" Gilan cried, speeding off. "Amazing." Halt mumbled. "That dumb Gilan was just shot, and there he is, running off like an overjoyed little kid." However, he followed at a run.

Will and Horace shrugged. Will, who was not yet ready to run, leaned on Horace and hobbled quickly towards the door. Just as they were about to leave, however, the young Ranger stopped. "Just a second." He said, then stumbled awkwardly towards Brutus.

Will noticed that Brutus had a wedding ring. Smiling sadly, he slipped it off and shoved it into his satchel. "Thank _you._" He whispered, then rushed out the door after his three best friends, eager to get back home and never see this castle again.

**A/N: What'd ya think? Short chapter, I know, but I didn't want to cram too much crap in. Anyways, this isn't the end, in case any of you were mistaken. There MORE! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHahahaha….ha…ha. Umm….anyways…thanks for reading. Keep those reviews up!-FLY**


	10. Home, But Not Quite Sweet

**A/N: OLAF! It's me, IFYOUCOULDFLY! I cannot stress enough how much you guys mean to me. Every review you guys send makes my day! So, because I want to get this show on the road, here's the disclaimer- _Crowley: _No. _Me: _Excuse me?! _Crowley: _I said no. I have no patience for this, and you might as well go ahead and, as you said, get this show on the road. _Me: _huh. I guess. John Flanagan owns Ranger's Apprentice, not me…read!**

-CHAPTER NINE-

He had been waiting for days in the storeroom. It was damp, and dirty, crawling with rodents; completely unfitting for a man of his stature. But for now, he didn't care. All he wanted was revenge, and it was in sight. Days ago, maybe weeks, he had sent one of his servants away in a ship, to hide in a nearby cove and throw his enemies off track. Just as anticipated, they could not find his ship, and continued on home. They were idiots. Idiots he hated.

Worst of all, he could hear them. Up on deck, the four idiots and their stupid horses were laughing. _Laughing! _And talking. He wanted to run upstairs and strangle them, but no. Not yet. The time was not right. Soon, though…soon, he would have his revenge.

***Will's P.O.V.***

"There it is." Will whispered, relief washing over him. It had been weeks since he had been captured. He had been through so much: torture, hypnotism, a battle, and a long and restless voyage home. But now, Araluen had burst into view over the grey tide. It was all over.

Halt, Horace and Gilan were right behind him, watching as he smiled a real smile for the first time in days. "We're home." He whispered.

Sunbeams poured in from gaps in the trees, making patches of light on the forest ground. A particularly plump rabbit was basking in the warmth, when a sudden noise alerted him. Quickly, it dashed into the brush nearby, seconds away from being shot by King Duncan's arrow. "Blast!" He whispered angrily. "If only I could shoot like one of those Rangers!"

"Now why on earth would you want be like _us?" _A voice came from behind him. His guards were instantly, up and ready, to the amusement of the grizzled Ranger. "Halt!" Duncan cried, a smile spreading across his face. "And Will! I am trusting that you are well?"

Will bowed his head. "To say the truth, King, I have felt much better." Again, the king of Araluen smiled widely. "That is to be expected." Halt nodded briefly. "There is a matter that must be addressed, however. It is no longer safe for you outside the castle walls, and possibly not within either." King Duncan raised his brow. "Meaning…."

"There's somebody after you, a very dangerous somebody." Gilan said in a rushed tone, eager to get the king to safety. "You see, he happens to be-"

Will knew what was about to happen. Vasanistis hade made no sound, no movement at all, but somehow, Will knew. "MOVE!" Will screeched, shoving King Duncan to the ground, an arrow already slipping from the bowstring as they fell to the forest floor.

A cry of pain sounded from the darkness, then a thud. Vasanistis was dead. The king was saved. But the arrow intended for Duncan had continued in its path after he had fallen. Will just happened to be directly in that path.

***Halt's P.O.V.***

"WILL!" Horace and Gilan rushed forward to assist the king and Ranger. Halt, however, stood for a moment, completely dumbfounded. _"How?" _He thought, then quickly recovered, rushing to his former apprentice's side and began to block the wound with his cloak.

"Halt," Gilan muttered, "Now may be a bad time, but Vasanistis wasn't alone." Halt cursed, noticing the dozens of hypnotized servants. "We'll take care of them! Go!" Horace instantly commanded. Hesitantly, he glanced at the king. As much as he wanted to take off and save Will, he knew it was his duty to protect King Duncan first. To his great relief, the shocked king nodded, and he was off.

"Come on, Will, just a little longer…" A voice rasped from behind the hood. It was an odd sight to see, a grizzled figure draped in a cloak, riding frantically through a dense forest, holding a bleeding boy in one arm, his horse's reins in the other. Behind him was another horse, a gray pony, with no rider. The pony whinnied frantically, desperately trying to keep up with the man and the boy.

Each time the boy took a shaky, rasping breath, the man kicked his horse, urging him to go faster. It was horrible, seeing the boy he loved in such a state. Just when it seemed his steed could carry on no longer, familiar signs sprung up in the woods surrounding. A little cobblestone path, a large, knotted tree; they were nearing Redmont. "We're going to make it, Will." The cloaked figure said, relief flooding his voice.

Just at that moment, everything went wrong. Abruptly, the uneasy rising and falling of the dying boy's chest ceased. He was no longer breathing. "No." The man whispered, refusing to believe it was over. "Will, wake up!" For the first time in years, tears began to form in the old Ranger's eyes. "Will…"

**A/N: Back to the beginning! So after this, I think I'll be posting one more chapter, then maybe an epilogue. After that, Broken will be over. *sigh…I've really enjoyed this! But whatevs. Not the time to get all emotional on you. Oh, yeah, this chapter was even shorter than the last one, so pfftftsft. Don't know what that was. I should probably stop now.-FLY**


	11. Father and Son

**A/N: OLAF! It's me, IFYOUCOULDFLY! So is this really the last chapter besides the epilogue, which you BTW must read?! *Sobs quietly into arm* I love, love, love you guys for all the support I've been given! PLEASE MAKE SUGGESTIONS! I might be doing some cute oneshots later on, but I don't know right now…anyways, *sniffle* disclaimer... _Halt: _I don't have to. _Me: _WHAT?! _Halt: _It's already been disclaimed or whatever. Like, 10 times. _Me: _Oh. I guess so. *sigh* Go ahead and read.**

-CHAPTER TEN-

***Halt's P.O.V.***

"Will!" He cried, tears streaming down his face. "Wake up, Will!" Since the day Tug showed up on his doorstep, Halt had been holding in his emotions, but it was if somebody had cracked a hole in a dam. For the first time in maybe his life, the grizzled Ranger was sobbing uncontrollably.

Suddenly, Will eye's flew open. He gasped desperately and, finding he couldn't breathe, began to cough frantically. "Calm down, Will!" Halt shouted, fear creeping into his mind as the coughs didn't stop.

In a desperate attempt to save his former apprentice, he clutched Will's chest and squeezed. Hard. Gasping, Will finally took a shaky breath.

For a moment, they stood still, apprentice and master, young and old, son and father. Then they were hugging like they would never let go. "You saved my life," he sniffed. "I'm sorry I put you through so much. I'm sorry I shot Gilan, and nearly killed you all, and…"

"Shut up, Will!" Halt cried, hugging him tighter. "Just shut up." Will winced, and instantly, Halt pulled back. "Oh, God, I forgot. You're hurt!" Instantly, he kicked Abelard to a gallop once more, but this time, a sense of relief was all the grizzled old Ranger felt. His former apprentice, his son, was safe now.

***Alyss's P.O.V.* **

Alyss had heard the excited buzz rippling through the town, and decided to listen in on the conversation.

"Did you hear?" One particularly gossipy woman, Kaytlinne, whispered. "I heard from Leianna that there's a dying Ranger here, in the hospital." Alyss's heart skipped a beat. "It's true!" Emaline, a girl that Alyss frankly detested, broke in. "I saw it myself! And I'll tell you what, it was that boy that used to be an apprentice here!"

Alyss was already running. She forgot all about her diplomatic stature as she barreled through the streets of Redmont, thinking only one thought: _"It can't be true…could it?" _

She was not the only one in the waiting room. Halt was pacing back and forth, looking more worried than she had ever seen him. Alyss let a quick sob out. Seeing Halt here only meant one thing: the rumors were true.

Upon hearing the young Courier's cry, Halt glanced up. Instantly, she had her arms wrapped around the gruff old Rangers, tears flowing down her elegant cheeks like a waterfall. "I-is h-he okay?" She choked through her sobs, and Halt, who was surprisingly accepting her embrace, sighed. "I don't know, Alyss. These idiots don't know either. But he's strong." The Courier lifted her head off of Halt's chest and nodded. "I know." She whispered, voice cracking.

Just then, a doctor stepped into the waiting room. "Ranger Treaty is awake, and ready for visitors. He is expected to make a full recovery, but-" he never got to finish. Instantly, both Halt and Alyss were charging through the door to see Will.

Will, upon seeing Alyss, sat up feebly, wincing at the effort. "Hi, Al-" like the doctor, he never got to finish. Alyss grabbed him and kissed him, relief washing over her. "Don't _ever,_" she said forcefully once they had pulled apart, "Do anything stupid like that again."

***Will's P.O.V.***

Visiting hours were over long ago, but Halt refused to leave. All his other friends had left hours ago, including Horace, Gilan, and Evanlyn (or rather, Cassandra), who had made their way from Castle Araluen as soon as King Duncan was announced safe.

"Halt?" He asked in a small tone. Halt looked up, and Will continued. "How long will it take to recover?" Halt could tell that what Will _really_ meant was 'How long until I can serve as a Ranger again?'

"I'm honestly not sure." Halt shrugged. "The doctor says you will most likely have made a full recovery in four weeks, but you're much to stubborn for it to take that long." The young Ranger nodded in satisfaction, finally allowing himself to close his eyes and attempt a peaceful rest.

Halt watched him, beaming. "I'm proud of you, son." He whispered, and turned to fall asleep himself. Will allowed himself a quick smile, not quite asleep yet. "I love you, Dad." He whispered back, and Halt's heart swelled. Never in the old Ranger's life had he ever been so happy.

**A/N: IKR, shortest chapter yet (besides the prologue!)! I think Halt and Will were a little OOC at the end, but I don't care! So anyways, OMG…over 50 reviews! ****J**** I'm SOOOO happy! Oh, yeah, and you gotta read the epilogue! Hehe…no seriousl GUYS! LIKE SO SO SO MUCH! I'm hoping this will become a long-lasting commitment, because right now, it's just like badabababa I'M LUVIN' IT! Hehe, anyways, read the epilogue, and say bye-bye to Broken after that! *cries again*. Okay….yeah-FLY**


	12. Epilogue

**A/N: OLAF! It's me, IFYOUCOULDFLY! So this is it. Broken, my first fanfic, is over after this short little chapter. _Sigh…_I'm gonna miss it. But, of course, leave suggestions, 'cause this is DEFININITELY NOT MY LAST FANFIC. Well, I guess there's no point in- _Ranger's Apprentice Cast: _IFYOUCOULDFLY does not own Ranger's Apprentice, John Flanagan does! _Me: _Wha-what is this? _Will: _Well, you know, since Broken's over now… _Horace: _We decided to do this for you! _Me: _OMG! You-you guys *sobs*! Thanks so much! _Halt: _I told you we shouldn't have done this… _Gilan: _Shut up! Look how happy she is! _Me: _A-anyways, j-just *sniffles* read! *wailing***

-EPILOGUE-

Everything was back to normal, and Will couldn't have been happier (though he was slight uncomfortable).

To show his gratitude towards the young hero, King Duncan arranged a ginormous festival in Araluen in his honor. It seemed as though all of the kingdom was there, and the Rangers were feeling slightly out of place (except for Gilan, who was loving the attention Jenny was giving him).

With Alyss, Halt, Horace, Evanlyn, and Gilan at his side, the day was one of games, music, and _lots _of food. Despite his normal hatred of large events, Halt managed to laugh once and a while, and he even danced with Pauline. Several times.

During one particularly slow dance that Will was happily sharing with Alyss, a woman caught his eye. It was not so much the woman herself that struck him, but the ring she was wearing . As they waltzed past, he noticed the engraving of two small hearts and the initials A and B. He immediately recognized it.

"Just a moment, Alyss," he muttered, then slipped away from her delicate embrace, walking hurriedly toward the woman. He stopped in front of her, and she bowed her head. "How may I help you, Ranger?" She asked pleasantly. "Are you Annemarie Souleby?" He inquired and, confused, Annemarie nodded.

Slowly, Will pulled Brutus's ring out of his pocket and handed it to Miss Souleby. She fingered it lightly, tears gathering in her eyes. "He died a hero, ma'am. He was strong and brave." Annemarie nodded and flung herself into the Ranger's arms, weeping in mourning of her lost husband, a lost hero.

**A/N: It's over, isn't it…*wails uncontrollably for three hours*. Sigh… I'll miss this story. Thankfully, there will be more! So suggest stuff! What should I do? You tell me! Review, review, review! Hehe. Love you guys soooo much!-FLY**


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